Seacoast Holiday Parades Will Go on as Scheduled This Saturday
Despite the forecast of rain, Seacoast region holiday parades scheduled for Saturday are a go.
Rain will start by 8 a.m. Saturday morning and be steady throughout the day, according to National Weather Service meteorologist John Palmer in Gray, Maine. Temperatures will be in the 50s.
"It looks like we'll be clearing out by 6 p.m. but there's still going to be the chance of a shower or some light rain after that through the night," Palmer told Seacoast Current.
Winds will gust to 20-25 mph in interior areas and up to 45 mph along the immediate coast. A gale watch is up for possible wave heights of 6-11 feet.
Several parades scheduled for Saturday posted specific messages about their event statuses.
The city of Portsmouth said in a statement that its Holiday Tree-Lighting and Illuminated Holiday Parade events will begin on Saturday at 5 p.m. with the tree lighting ceremony in Market Square, followed by the illuminated holiday parade stepping off at 6 p.m. at Plaza 800 on Islington Street.
The Berwick-Somersworth parade will take place rain or shine, according to its Facebook page.
The organizers of Hampton's parade said that postponement is not an option because of the logistics in place for Saturday.
"The permits that we file to operate the parade need to be for a specific date and time, as we shut down a major state road (Route 1) for almost 3 miles. As this is one of the largest parade routes in the state, changing this is not something that can occur on such short notice," Vice President and Parade Coordinator Nicholas Bridle said in a statement. "The specific parade details are hired out in advance, and are not easily adjusted, as those working them are not 'on call' but taking time away from their families to keep us all safe. We cannot thank them enough for the job they do."
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